When Apache starts on Mac OS X Server, it uses a customized /etc/httpd/httpd.conf, which differs significantly from the httpd.conf distributed with Apache and the httpd.conf that resides on Mac OS X computers. This customized file contains some global directives, then includes httpd_macosxserver.conf. When you use Server Settings to configure Web service, httpd_macosxserver.conf is the file that is updated.
To edit Apache configuration files manually:
- When making global configuration changes in httpd.conf or httpd_macosxserver.conf, observe the comments in these files. The comments indicate what is safe and unsafe to modify.
- When making virtual-host-specific changes in httpd.conf or httpd_macosxserver.conf, follow the guidelines that appear at the top of these files. The guidelines describe how to avoid conflicts with Server Settings.
- If you install software updates, your /etc/httpd/ folder may contain configuration files that are not valid for Mac OS X Server. For example, httpd.conf.default, httpd.conf.old, mime.types.default, and mime.types.old. Only the following files, located in /etc/httpd/, are used to configure Mac OS X Server Web service: httpd.conf, httpd_macosxserver.conf, mime.types, mime_macosxserver.types, and tomcat.conf.